My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on September 1, 2007

This weekend is the annual Red Stewart Field / EAA Chapter 284 aviation celebration. On Saturday, the Stewarts open up their airfield for an open house which begins at 4 PM off Route 42 in Waynesville Ohio (directions). They offer a donation accepted ‘free’ chili dinner followed by an airshow that has always been excellent; this year promises to be great and it starts at 5PM. The weather looks excellent so be sure to fly or drive out to Waynesville.

For those flying in and camping, our EAA284 pancake breakfast will start at 7 AM on Sunday morning (9/2) and we encourage all who support aviation and the Experimental Aircraft Association to visit us. Most of the airplanes displayed and flown in at the field with be of the ‘taildragger’ variety. It is great to see preservation of many antique aircraft as well as the homebuilt experimental variety. If you have a son or daughter, show up at 11AM (til 2PM) and give them a free introduction to airplanes with a walk around and flight with one of our members — be part of the Young Eagles.

Our chapter will also be holding a raffle this year. Prizes are:
1) A ride in Brett Hunter’s Magnum Pitts
2) a Stearman ride donated by the Stewarts
3) a YAK 52 ride donated by Jay Hodge
Tickets will be available at the airshow on Saturday and at the Pancake breakfast Sunday morning — Look for me.
🙂

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Posted By RichC on August 31, 2007

Although our local football season had a few heads turned down after last week’s beating in Centerville, Ohio, the Lakota East players at least had their heads up before this weeks game. The Navy helped to start this weeks home game by bringing the game ball down in patriotic style. They brought it by skydiver along with displaying old glory. We just watched as several parachutes (photo) drifted down to the stadium while the sun dropped to the horizon in the still evening air. It time for high school football. I’ll update the score after the game …

EDIT 9/1: The score didn’t reflect the enjoyable football game. Sadly for the now 0-2 2007 Lakota East Thunderhawks lost to the Glen Este Trojans 42-26.

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Posted By RichC on August 31, 2007

A few weeks ago, Google’s Gmail team asked their users to help them with a collaborative video project. They asked Google-ites to submit short videos of themselves passing a Gmail envelope from left to right in a creative way. Over 1000 video clips were received from 50 countries and after assembling here is what it looks like:

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Posted By RichC on August 31, 2007

I’ve been participating in a discussion in our CinciTDI Yahoo group over the concern that food crops a being used for fuels … particularly as it relates to biodiesel. With the demand for soybeans (and corn for ethanol) rising, these two staple food and feed crops are returning higher prices per bushel. This is good news for the American farmer, but a concerning trend for those requiring beans and corn in producing products that feed people and livestock. Consumers may start noticing inflation in their grocery items although to be fair, it is still minimal as the American farmer easily over produces the demands of the market. (take a look at taxpayer funded “no-plant” subsidies that use to be used to prop up agriculture prices)

The current debate is over which oil crop is appropriate for fuel. Soybeans in the U.S. is currently the feedstock of choice since is grown throughout the midwest farm states in the billions of bushels. Some advocate that better yielding oil producing crops should be grown for fuel instead. (Rapeseed, Mustard, etc) My concern is that if fewer acres of soybeans are planted because farmers substitute “an oil only crop” … prices for soybeans could even rise higher.

This brings up the concern over a project in Florida which has seen their citrus crop take a hit after hurricanes and colder weather have damage their trees in recent years. Some, such as researchers at the University of Florida, suggest they the might want to test a Jatropha tree which is seeing popularity in India. In theory its a good option for areas difficult to grow traditional citrus trees, but there is a concern that this tree could replace some of the prized citrus growing plantations? (and you think Orange Juice is expensive now?)
😉
I’m not sure how I feel about Jatropha growing in Florida. On one hand, its a lower maintenance crop like Jatropha would be great for areas that are unsuited for much else, but then it could easily be grown in areas traditionally used for citrus? Back to Economics 101 … let the markets convince the farmers what to plant.

Jatropha tree could be a biodiesel boon for Florida farmers, UF researcher says Filed under Research, Environment, Florida on Wednesday, August 29, 2007.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Growing plants for fuel might be an engine-revving idea for some South Florida farmers who feel their crops have stalled, a University of Florida researcher says. Jatropha curcas, a plant native to Mexico that is being widely grown for fuel and medicine in some parts of the world, is a tree that produces golf ball-sized fruit. Inside each fruit are three seeds full of oil that can be pressed to make biodiesel. “For maybe a year and a half now, I have been working on an idea that here in deep South Florida we can grow a biodiesel crop that does not conflict with food and that we have a comparative advantage in growing,” said Roy Beckford, a Lee County extension agent who specializes in sustainable farm development. Beckford, who works for the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has been pushing Jatropha as an alternate crop to South Florida farmers the past couple years through IFAS newsletters.

Biodiesel is a fuel made from natural sources, such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats, for use in diesel engines. It is safe, biodegradable and contains fewer pollutants than gasoline.

Jatropha, also called Barbados nut or physic nut—as well as several other names, including black vomit nut for its use as a purgative—also contains glycerine that must be extracted from the fuel. Early Central American settlers lit the long-burning seeds in a bowl, as makeshift candles, Beckford said.

Last week, a company called Dream Fuels donated some 1,500 Jatropha curcas seedlings worth about $6,000 to Lee County. Following the ceremonial planting of about 100 seedlings attended by Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottcamp and other officials, the rest of the seedlings were planted on a 1-acre demonstration farm at Orange River Park in the Buckingham area of Lee County. The planting is part of a much larger effort by county officials to reduce reliance on petroleum-derived fuels. They plan to build a biodiesel plant at the site of a closed landfill and to use Jatropha and restaurant grease to fuel at least part of the county’s fleet, said Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah. “We think it’s doable,” he said. The trees can grow to 20 feet tall, can thrive up to 50 years and can be harvested twice a year—as quickly as 18 months after planting, under ideal conditions. It does well in both good and poor soil and doesn’t require heavy cultivation, fertilization or irrigation. One acre of Jatropha can yield between 600 to 1,000 gallons of oil per year, although at least two companies marketing the plant say they have varieties that yield much more. Beckford said he believes farmers trying to recover from citrus canker or greening might want to give Jatropha a look. Because it fares well in bad soil, he also says the crop might be helpful for landowners whose property is unsuitable for traditional agriculture. He also suggests that Jatropha be used as a replacement in cases where invasive plants such as Brazilian pepper and Melaleuca are removed from the landscape. Besides the donated seedlings that are now being planted, Beckford said a handful of Lee County growers are on the verge of planting as well. Also in Lee County, a nonprofit Christian group called Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, or ECHO, has been growing a half-acre of the trees for more than five years. ECHO specializes in finding alternative crops for underdeveloped countries and is currently using the trees as a “living fence.” Some underdeveloped countries plant a line of trees as a fence to keep animals from grazing on their farms.

Martin Price, one of ECHO’s co-founders, said although the trees appear to be doing well there, his group is hesitant to lead the cheers without more feasibility studies in place. “We are not promoters at this point,” he said. “But we’re a big believer of the potential in underutilized crops.” But with other countries, such as China, India and Brazil, investing heavily in Jatropha, Beckford says time is of the essence, especially with federal goals for renewable fuels. “I’ll keep plugging it, because I want to make sure that something comes from it,” he said. “If we don’t do it, someone else will.”

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Posted By RichC on August 30, 2007

Another summer over … thankfully for mom and dad ... and its back to the school grind for my kids. Katelyn in particular had an interesting summer helping open a new restaurant near our home; she enjoyed every minute working and playing with the family and fellow employees at the Greek Isles Restaurant. The unique restaurant, for our area anyway, was an instant success in our community and has been doing a steady business from an 11 A.M. lunch to a 9 P.M close. Who knew Liberty Township was ‘starving’ for authentic Greek food?

View Larger Map
Here are a couple photos of the ‘A-Team’ after Katelyn’s last day at the Greek Isles. (and is another test Google’s Picasa2‘s upload and embed feature.)

I’d be remiss not to include a word of thanks to Kosta and Maria for treating Katelyn like “family” and giving her a great summer job. I know she enjoyed her summer … and particularly the chance to observer and open heart surgery. Thanks again.

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Posted By RichC on August 29, 2007

Speedway in Brimfield Ohio is still selling 500ppm LSD

In a previous post I commented to the effect that maybe my 2003 VW Jetta TDI’s fuel economy might go down after purchasing new tires with a more aggressive all-weather tread. After two tanks of fuel, one B-20 (20% biodiesel and 80% Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel), and one approximately B-70 (70% biodiesel and 30% ‘old’ Low Sulfur Diesel) …nothing has changed. Hmm … a solid 44.5 mpg on both tanks of primarily 70-ish highway travel. This number might be slightly lower by 1 mpg, but then the weather these past couple of weeks has been exceptionally hot; I may have used the air conditioning a bit more and even idled between stops more often? My early conclusion is that 1) there is little change in fuel efficiency after installing new tires, and 2) both the biodiesel blends have returned excellent fuel efficiency. (NOTE: It might be me, but my little diesel seems smoother and quieter running the higher biodiesel percentage … this is something which has been noted by others. Lubricity perhaps ??? see link)

Category: Automotive, Biodiesel, Diesel, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Tags: 2003, diesel, mpg, tdi, tires, vw

Posted By RichC on August 28, 2007

As Wi-Fi becomes a way of life for many Internet connected notebook computer, PDAs and Smartphones users, there is a tendency to become too comfortable in ‘making the connection.’ I find it almost a necessity in my travel, but nevertheless, I do rethink the places I connect. Coffee shops, restaurants and hotels are pretty regular connections for me, but a conversation the other day with someone who mentioned that the Better Business Bureau is sending a clear warning to watch out for those free airport connections. The trend for hackers is to set up ‘fake Wi-Fi’ connections that emulate the many popular and heavily used hotspots.

When searching for connections, our computers see open network connections that are available and usually (depending on one your settings) require human intervention to initiate the connection. While one might be thinking it’s the free connection offered by the establishment, naive users may just accept the hackers fake connection and log on. Unfortunately, the network may actually be an “ad-hoc” network or a peer-to-peer connection. The user will still be able to surf the Internet, but they’re doing it through the hacker’s computer. According to an article by Steve Bernas of the BBB, “the hacker is stealing information such as passwords, credit card and bank account numbers and Social Security numbers. Beyond simply stealing keystroke information as the user enters various types of data, if the PC is set to share files, the hacker could even steal whole documents from the computer.” Mr. Bernas goes on to say that in a security review, “Chicago O’Hare had 20 ad-hoc networks present that were potentially designed with the intent of hacking into unsuspecting user’s computers and networks.”

The BBB offers the following advice

• Never connect to an unfamiliar ad-hoc network — even if the name sounds genuine. A hacker can change the name of his network to anything he wants, including the name of the legitimate Internet connection offered by the airport. Just because it has the same name as the Wi-Fi advertised in the airport, don’t believe it. For more information on how to distinguish between an ad-hoc network and a normal Wi-Fi network with Windows Vista or XP visit http://support.microsoft.com.
• Make sure that your computer is not set up to automatically connect to non-preferred networks. Otherwise your computer could automatically connect to the hacker’s network without your knowledge.
• Turn off file-sharing when you’re on the road to prevent hackers from stealing entire documents, files and unencrypted e-mail from your computer.
• Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for your business. A VPN establishes a private network across the public network by creating a tunnel between the two endpoints so that nobody in between can intercept the data. Many companies allow remote users to connect to corporate networks so long as they use VPN. This keeps the users’ communications just as secure as if they were sitting at a desk in the building.

Category: Cellphone, Computer, Tablet, Technology | 2 Comments »
Tags: bbb, internet, security, vpn, wifi

Posted By RichC on August 27, 2007

Have you changed your brake fluid lately? On most if not all TDIs, VW recommends that you change your brake fluid every 2 year regardless of mileage. So with that in mind, how about getting together on Saturday, September 22, 2007 with your fellow TDI owners and helping each other with a brake bleeding? (9AM until ???)
We’ve worked out a Saturday that will include a couple of our dedicated GTG ‘wrenchers’ so that they can be available with powerbleeders; if you have one please bring it. Our group will be using our CinciTDI “How-To” video clip ‘donations’ to purchase the brake fluid for all who are signed up in the comment section of the CinciTDI GTG section. (HINT: Listing in the comment section over at CinciTDI as an excuse to get members to register on our CinciTDI website — it is separate from the Yahoo group. Again, we would like to have enough brake fluid on hand for everyone — so be sure to sign up early)

This GTG will be of the family/picnic/grill-out variety so feel free to bring your family, extra chairs, bathing suits and towels as the pool will be open. If you would like to bring something to add to the potluck lunch … that would be great. Please list what you will bring in the comments section so others can avoid too many duplicates. We would like to have a head count for both ‘brake fluid’ and the meats for the grill.

Our good friend and rally racer Jon Hamilton is also planning to be here with his RallyVW, posters, etc along with his Pike’s Peak climbing TDI. This is a great chance to talk to him about power enhancements or learn just how durable our little diesels are … or perhaps donate a few dollars to keep his TDI competitive.

Directions: there is a ‘front’ driveway which can be found plugging in 8025 Green Lake Drive, West Chester OH into Google Maps (for cars not needing service) OR a rear gravel drive with tons more parking for those needing to work on their cars (besides it keeps me on better terms with my neighbors). The map below details the directions from either Dayton or Cincinnati (north or south bound on I-75) to the rear entrance. If its dry feel free to turn off the gravel and park on the grass. If the weather is lousy, we’ll either do what we can or reschedule. (check back here if it looks questionable)

You can find this map by putting CinciTDI and GTG in Google Maps search box.
From I-75 take Rt 129 (Butler County Regional Hwy) to the West to first exit. Turn North (right) on Cincinnati-Dayton Road through 3 traffic light and turn East (right) on Bethany Road. Cross over I-75 and look for rear entrance to our house through green gate. I’ll post CinciTDI sign.

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Posted By RichC on August 24, 2007

Raj Mosali of Jatrodiesel, headquartered in Mason Ohio announced that their Miamisburg biodiesel facility up and running. (see post from last year) The new facility has a current capacity of 10,000 gallons and will eventually be able to produce 15,000 gallons per day. The newly opened production facility is looking for buyers and is willing to sell biodiesel to individuals in smaller quantities, even as low as 100 gallons. Perhaps the biodiesel advocates in the Dayton and Cincinnati area will be able to negotiate a group purchase price — contact me if you are interested.

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Posted By RichC on August 23, 2007

Traveling around the state of Ohio this week, it is amazing the difference a few hundred miles can make. In my home of Cincinnati, its relatively dry with rainfall for the month almost 3 inches below normal. In Cleveland the recent heavy rains have put them 6+inches over the monthly averages. The recent heavy rains passing through the state have even put entire towns under water like Findlay, Ohio in the northwestern part of Ohio. In fact, today the busy north – south Interstate 75 was even underwater and impassable north of Lima. Several other small towns and communities have suffered significant rain and flooding including an area I was near today. (Mansfield and Shelby) Gauges have measure up to 9 inches in a 24 hour period.

I-75 Closed Today – Toledo Blade Photos

As I debate my trip across route 30 on Thursday afternoon, I’m hoping the roads will be passable. but there are still thunderstorms even at this time although at this writing the rain is light and spotty.

I also filled up at the I-71 exit 151 Mt. Gilead Sunoco Biofuels station today and will test the mileage hit my new tires will be costing me. I’m concerned that the aggressive treaded all weather Dunlop Sport A60s will negatively affect mileage of my Volkswagen TDI. (I’ve averaged lifetime about 44.5 to date)

Finally … I’ll post an audio snip-it from a Volkswagen song (click for MP3) I heard in case someone recognizes the artist … not that I really need to know, but thought it would be interesting to place the entire song in the CinciTDI archives?

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